The embodiments herein relate generally to media device mounts, and more particularly to media device mounts for patient viewing in dental offices.
Media devices are often provided in medical offices and exam rooms to display media content for patients to view during an examination or a procedure. For instance, a video display device may be available in a dental office to allow dental patients to watch an entertaining video during a dental procedure. A variety of content can be displayed on these display devices for a variety of needs. For example, display devices may be used to display images or video of a patient's tissue or body part(s) related to a procedure, to instruct the patient on preventive or post-procedure care, or to simply engage a patient in something that preoccupies them so as to calm their nerves during a procedure. In particular, in dental offices, the types of content may include, for example, entertaining videos, dental imagery of the patient (e.g., a color picture of the patient's gum line, an x-ray image of a cavity on one of the patient's teeth, etc.), educational videos (e.g. instructional videos that children may watch to learn proper brushing techniques, etc.), and many other types of content.
Such media devices are typically mounted on the ceiling or mounted to an arm that hangs from the ceiling. From the perspective of the patient, the mounting or hanging position of the display device must be capable of providing a view angle to the display that is generally unobscured and is preferably defined along a direct line of sight from the patient's eyes. However, most medical and dental procedures require movements of one or more medical personnel (e.g., dentists, doctors, specialists, assistants, etc.) during the procedure. Movements, such as arm and head movements of positioned medical personnel and full body relocations of personnel, often break the viewing angle between the patient and the media display device. This is problematic for patients and medical practitioners who wish to maintain a generally direct line of sight between the patient and a media display device in an examination room.
Additionally, most displays mounted to arms require a set of wires to provide content data to display the video(s) and/or image(s), electrical current to power the display, communication and command data to control playback of the content and/or view settings of the display (e.g., contrast ratio, color depth, etc.). As a result, current media arms are large and bulky, are only mountable to positions that severely limit the range of movement from which the display can be positioned, and are limited in the viewing angle at which the patient can view the display.
Thus, what is needed is a small, lightweight arm that attaches to an existing arm configured to provide operation of a medical device (e.g., a dental light above a patient that provides light for the dentist to perform dental procedures), such that the arm can hold a media device next to the light itself in a proper viewing distance for the patient to view content and at a direct line of sight viewing angle for the patient.